An electrical wire generally comprises an inner core of conductor that is surrounded by an insulation layer. When the electrical wire is joined to other wires or connected to a terminal, the insulation needs to be removed. The purpose of a wire stripping apparatus is to remove the insulation from around the core of the wire to expose the core of the wire.
The wire stripping apparatus disclosed in Japanese unexamined publication JP2000-350324 comprises a pair of V-shaped cutters that are provided opposite to an insulated wire and blades of the cutters are moved toward the insulated wire to cut into the insulation from opposite sides without damaging the core, and the cutters are caused to move in the lengthwise direction of the wire to remove the insulation.
According to this type of stripper in which the blades are caused to move in the length of the wire, if cross sectional shapes of wire and/or core are not uniform in the lengthwise direction of wire or if an adhesion between the core and the insulation is strong, it may be difficult to strip the insulation from the wire properly. Moving the blades cutting into the insulation along the lengthwise direction of the wire may result in damage to the core.
Japanese unexamined publication H06-22425 relates to an assisting tool for wire stripping in which a cut is formed in the insulation by using heated blades. In stripping the insulation using this tool, a separate process is required to pull out the insulation from an end of the wire. It is difficult to pull the insulation if the length of the insulation to be removed is short. It is also difficult to twist strands of the core by pulling out the insulation to keep the strands together.
The present invention is directed to provide a wire stripping apparatus which facilitates easy and effective stripping an insulation from a wire while eliminating damages to a core.